Moving day, a balancing act for the entire family

MONTREAL, June 9, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The key to a successful move, and one that is (relatively) without stress, resides in its planning, particularly when children are involved. With this in mind, Kijiji recruited experts in family coaching and interior design to provide you with helpful tips for a July 1st Moving Day with as few tears and worries as possible.

"When you move, everyone is under stress, including your kids," confirms Nancy Doyon, family coach for Kijiji. "Organizing a move is not only a question of packing boxes. Parents and children must be prepared for the changes that come with it."

Managing the transition can be difficult with the entire hubbub surrounding the move. Nancy Doyon shares a few tips to make help ease the task.

Before

Clean up. Without turning your children's environment upside down, take a few minutes to sort out their toys and sell those they no longer use on a classifieds website like Kijiji; an item posted at a reasonable price will sell quickly. It is also an excellent way to recover part of your investment and avoid having to move things you no longer need.

Plan the essentials. Gather together, and keep handy, everything you will need during the few days before the move. Don't forget toothbrushes and your children's favorite blanky! For the big day, ensure that you have all necessary equipment: gloves, tools, dollies, straps, adhesive tape, etc. Look to second-hand equipment to keep your costs down.

Involve the kids. For example, they can help pack their toys or identify boxes with drawings or stickers.

Know when to call the professionals. Check out the numerous offers on Kijiji for a handyman or movers who will help save you some previous minutes.

Mix business with pleasure. Don't forget music and snacks for the kids and for those who are helping you out!

Moving Day

Once instead of twice. Place boxes and furniture in the appropriate room as soon as they are unloaded from the moving truck.

Quick cleaning. Leave your former place in reasonable order. If you are running out of time to clean, check Kijiji for the various offers for a house-cleaner who could also help in your new home. If you are taking care of it yourself, concentrate on the main rooms in the short term: kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. Ideally, you will have prepared a box with everything you need to clean: vacuum cleaner, detergents, cleaners and rags.

Involve the kids (again)! If your children are present during moving day, assign them simple tasks. Don't forget to keep boxes of toys close at hand. They will be happy to help unpack them. Prepare a play area that is out of the way but still convenient for you to keep an eye on them.

One day at a time. Don't try to do everything in one day. Take snack breaks and have fun in all the clutter!

Once everything is set up, don't forget to decorate. "Decorating allows you to personalize your home and will help your children adapt more readily to their new environment," explains Nancy Doyon. "Make decorating a family affair! This will help promote the sense of belonging to the new family home."

Dominique Gingras, interior decorator for Kijiji, proposes a few simple ideas to add your own personal touch to your new home. "Whether you want to start fresh or simply bring new life to your decor, a site like Kijiji offers an infinite number of possibilities, for a fraction of the cost," she says. "Let your creativity guide you and, especially, have fun together while perusing the site regularly for inspiration."

Kids' area. Involve your children by letting them choose elements for their new room. By using Kijiji, you can find numerous decorating items at low prices and which you can shop for in the comfort of your home.

Be bold with colours. For the more prudent, choose fun and colourful accessories to add a touch of brightness to your decor. For those who are more daring, try out a bright colour on the ceiling.

Play with motifs. Beautiful window coverings can add a touch of sophistication and playfulness to your ambiance.

A creative touch. What better way to unleash your creativity than with a DIY project? Check out the many ads for wooden pallets on Kijiji, THE trendy material for decor enthusiasts – you will find a variety of colours and prices, and some are even given away freely.

Be playful. Why not complete your setting with an accessory that will make the entire family laugh, like a distortion mirror, animal-shaped cushions or items printed with cartoon characters?

About KijijiKijiji, which means "village" in Swahili, is the number one classifieds website in Canada, connecting 11 million buyers and sellers each month. With local sites for more than 100 cities and towns across the country, including in Quebec, Kijiji makes it easy for its users to find exactly what they're looking for in their own community. In Quebec, 48% of Internet users use this service, and Kijiji sites receive over 2.9 million unique visitors per month. In 2012, Kijiji websites in Quebec received an average of 389 searches per minute and 48 ad views per second, and 17 million responses of all kinds were sent.